Rioja Gourmet Travel Guide

Welcome to Catavino’s Gourmet Guide to Rioja! This guide covers everything you need when traveling through Rioja, including the bites and the sites! If, however, you’re looking for a guided experience, check out our Rioja food and wine tours or let us design a customized tour for you!

Overview

To travel through the land of La Rioja is to experience Mother Nature at her finest. Located in the upper half of Spain, La Rioja is bordered by the Basque Country and Navarre to the north, Aragon to the east and Castilla y Leon to the southwest. It is also home to the Iberian mountain range, with an average altitude of 1500 ft that funnels seven rivers into the valley and the famed Ebro River. These rivers go on to form tributaries that create additional valleys in their own right. Together, they create a plush and green area that generously nurtures agriculture.

Rioja is known as a hotbed of outstanding products which provides the foundation for its simple yet quality driven gastronomy. From grapes that craft internationally recognized wines to lettuces, peppers, onions, artichokes, garlic, tomatoes, asparagus, beans, peas, and peppers. And let’s not forget its notable goat and lamb products whose aromas can be savored when tossed over grapevines on open pits.

Rioja Cuisine

With a wealth of quality ingredients and a history of traditional dishes, it’s not difficult to come to Rioja with high expectations. Drive through the valley covered in blossoming cherry trees and grapevines, and it doesn’t take long to fall in love. But to truly understand the heart and soul of Rioja, you must be willing to open your mind, and your palate, to a vast array of new flavors.

Not to Miss Rioja Delights:

Piquillo Peppers (pimientos riojanos): Typically small and sweet, they are generally skinned and cooked before serving. Perfect fresh, but also great gently wood-roasted and preserved in their own juices, piquillo peppers are ubiquitous in the traditional cuisine of Rioja. You can find them stuffed (with bacalao or lamb); dipped in batter and fried, to make pimientos rellenos; and sometimes part of a stew, especially the substantial bean-and-chorizo stew, pochas a la riojana.

Esparragos Blancos: This white asparagus is a regional specialty from Rioja Baja, prized for its tenderness. To obtain it, farmers must mount dirt around each asparagus shoot daily as it tries to poke out of the soil. As a result, these shoots never see sunlight, which is what makes them so tender. Typically you will find them canned and served with mayonnaise. Otherwise, they can also be grilled and salted and used in many different kinds of dishes including salads, soups, omelets and other egg dishes.

Patatas a la Riojana: Many of you have tasted Patatas Bravas, a typical tapa throughout Spain, but I doubt you’ve tried this version. Spain is not known for its spicy food – even black pepper is looked at cautiously; but here in Rioja, their potatoes come roasted with chorizo and smoky paprika – a delicious combo!

Lechal (suckling lamb) or Cochinillo (suckling pig): Either of these wee creatures is fed on its mother’s milk before being killed between the ages of two and six weeks. Roasted with olive oil or butter and served.

Patxaran: Patxaran is the liquor of Rioja. In Euskara, it means sloe berry or baso aran (wild plum), a name you might accurately associate with sloe gin. A small dark berry with red juice, a sloe berry comes from a blackthorn bush and is a relative of the plum, while Patxaran is a sloe-flavored liqueur most commonly drunk in Navarra, the Basque Country and La Rioja

Rioja Wine: Rioja is one of the most prestigious regions in Spain. Using the red Tempranillo wine as a base, and occasionally blending it with Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano grapes, the wineries of this region produce Rioja crianzas (aged for at least twelve months in oak barrels and another twelve months in bottles), reservas (aged at least a year in barrels and another two years in bottles) and gran reservas (aged in oak barrels for at least two years, and another three years in bottles). More information on Rioja wine.

Bar and Cafe Scene

Welcome to Logroño, the epicenter of Spanish Tapas. It is the home of hundreds of tiny bars all crammed in an even tinier set of streets all dedicated to their specific set of ingredients. And we speak of dedication, we mean it! Many bars will serve only one of the following: tripe, mushrooms, pigs ears, rabbit stew, chorizo, grilled anchovies, among many others. Mind you, this is not the cutting-edge gastronomic experience that you’ll find in several other restaurants across La Rioja, but it’s not meant to be either. It’s objective is to be a proper Tapas Crawl, which means a few tapas in one location, alongside a glass of wine, followed by a wander to another location where you’ll repeat the process over and over again. Some will continue onto dinner, while others will be perfectly satiated in their ambling tasting menu.

Keep in mind that La Rioja is spread out, and although the hub of fabulous bars lies in Logrono, don’t resist the desire to explore newfound regions with equally fantastic bars.

Calle and Travesía del Laurel (Logroño): Here you will find hundreds of bars and cafes for you to enjoy a wondering tasting menu

Plaza San Martin and Santo Tomas (Haro): Among the plaza, and rabbit warren of streets, you’ll discover dozens of little bars most notable for their local wine selection

La Plaza Mayor (Laguardia): In this quaint medieval city you will find a plethora of fantastic wine bars in and around the square. Don’t hesitate to walk around and pop your head into any little cavern that looks appealing. Undoubtedly, they’ll have great wine and a bite to eat.

Restaurants

Basque chefs and experimental Catalan alchemists have long entered the limelight of world gastronomy over the past decade or so, while Rioja’s culinary stars have remained relatively uncelebrated. But given the scope and quality of Rioja’s cuisine — both classic and creative — it’s hard to imagine this region’s food staying under the radar much longer.

Daroca de Rioja – This town is the reason why we encourage people to get out and travel to the smaller lesser known pueblos where you can find Venta Moncalvillo. This Michelin Star family-run restaurant serves traditional cuisine, made of high quality, and locally sourced, products.

Laguardia – Beyond the fab cafes and bars, you’ll also find dozens of outstanding restaurants speckling the narrow medieval streets. Examples include Amelibia, offering modern interpretations of traditional classics, with excellent quality local ingredients and an exceptional wine list.

Páganos – Here you will find wee restaurants such as Hector Oribe. This compact rustic-style dining room and a small, and open-view wine cellar, specializes in traditional, creative cuisine that makes full use of produce from its own vegetable garden.

Dining in Rioja

When to Eat: Rioja (and Spain in general) functions much in the same way as hobbit’s village. There are approximately 6 meals a day, or more, depending on what your objective is. As a basic guide, you can assume the following: 8 am coffee, 10:30 coffee and croissant, 14:00 lunch; 16:00 coffee and a sweet; 21:00 dinner. If you arrive 15 minutes late to any of the meals, rest assured so is everyone else. However, as Rioja is more of a rural area, be mindful that places may close much earlier than Barcelona or Madrid.

Be Assertive: Understand that assertiveness is the key to success in any restaurant, bar or cafe. Whether you need to order, grab a drink or simply pay your bill, don’t hesitate to make a beeline straight to the server; otherwise, you may be reaching retirement before your needs are met.

When in Doubt use Silverware: Though you will see many people use their fingers, they tend to be tourists. As a general rule of thumb, even if you’re enjoying a pan con tomate, cut that bad boy with a fork and knife.

Dress Code: Here I am only referring to the restaurant scene, but just about anything goes. Would I suggest avoiding a t-shirt and shorts for a nice dinner? No, but you won’t get kicked out. Rioja is lovely in its informality, but try not to abuse its flexibility.

Festivals

Spain’s endless enthusiasm for festivals and gatherings means that there’s hardly ever a week in the year that doesn’t include at least one. Whilst the majority of the fiestas are either cultural or religious, there are also gastronomy and cattle-related fiestas, not to mention the most relevant, wine-related fiestas.

But as your time is limited, let’s highlight some of our personal favorites:

Festivals of Santo Domingo de la Calzada (10th to 15th May):Hundreds of years ago, King Alfonso X “the Wise” granted a royal privilege to the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, allowing it to celebrate an annual fair. What started as an agricultural and livestock event, has gradually become a unique and especially attractive traditional fiesta where you can find medieval crafts, gastronomy, music, dance, street theatre and shows.

Battle of the Wine in Haro (June 29): The Battle of the Wine is part of the Haro festival in honor of San Juan, San Felices, and San Pedro. This wine battle has its origins in a territorial dispute between the towns of Miranda de Ebro, in Burgos, and the town of Haro in La Rioja for possession of the place called Riscos de Bilibio. Mass is held at the shrine of San Felices and this is followed by lunch. Once over, it is time for the Battle of the Wine to commence: participants throw thousands of liters of wine at each other, using all kinds of containers and tanks until everyone’s clothes have been stained a crimson color and the atmosphere is laden with wine.

Stilt Dancers of Anguiano (22 June and last Saturday in September): This stunning dance is performed on 45 cm high wooden stilts by eight young men from the village, dressed in colorful waistcoats and yellow skirts which has become an internationally renowned tradition. The stilt walkers hurtle down the steep slope from the church to the main village square where you can experience their full glory – however, we do not suggest you try this at home.

Rioja Grape Harvest (22 September): It is held in Logroño during a week around the 21st of September. On the 21st, St Matthew’s Feast Day, a traditional act takes places in the Paseo del Espolón square, in which the first grape juice from the wine harvest is offered to the Virgen of Valvanera, the patron Saint of La Rioja. During this week of fiestas, the Logroño celebrations include a procession of floats, food and wine tasting organized by the “Peñas” or social clubs, bullfights, the St Matthew pelota contest at the Frontón court of Adarraga, concerts, theatre, street music, fireworks on the river Ebro River.

Mind you that all of these festivals have plenty of street food and wine or beer stands available; hence it’s worth the excuse to wander.

Sightseeing

Whether you’re drenched in wine from participating in a few fiestas or fully satiated from a 6-course meal, make sure to take the opportunity to wander through the picturesque towns dotting Rioja.

Dinosaur Tracks: Over 120 million years ago, dinosaurs inhabited Rioja from which their fossilized footprints still remain among the rocks. If your passions dictate, you’re welcome to take a guided tour of the 40 tracks currently excavated throughout the La Rioja region. Quite the treat for the budding paleontologists among us.

Monasteries: For more than ten centuries, La Rioja has been home to many spiritual centers, of which many of which are a treasure to visit. Examples include the Monastery of Santa Maria de San Salvador which was started by the Cister order of nuns and dates to 1170. The Monasteries of Suso and Yuso were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 as the birthplace of the modern written and spoken Spanish language.

Museums: La Rioja boasts of dozens of museums including art, architectural and archaeological museums, but nothing quite compares to the Vivanco Museum of the Culture of Wine. This 4000-meter museum belonging to the Vivanco Foundation and houses a wide range of wine archaeology, sculpture, painting, etc., giving us a universal vision of the relevance that wine has had in all civilizations throughout history.

Accommodation

Naturally, if you’re going to make a destination out of Rioja, it’s best to ensure your accommodations are topnotch as well.

Hotel Echaurren Ezcaray: Priding itself on its gastronomy, this centenary family establishment has passed from father to son – currently run by the 5th generation. You can find this Basque hotel, nestled in the historic center of the town of Ezcaray, opposite the parish church of Santa Maria Maggiore (national monument).

Señorìo de Briñas: In Briñas, 3 km. from Haro, a 7th-8th-century hotel exists where you will find peace, quiet and history. During the Spanish Civil War, it was used as headquarters by the Italian troops. Today, it hosts a small hotel that still has the splendor of his past. Plunge into the harmony of its charming spaces, decorated with stone, terracotta floors, antiques, pottery, as well as a spa.

Marques de Riscal: Designed by the architect Frank O. Gehry, creator of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the hotel has spectacular views of vineyards over El Ciego. Complete with a spa, and a Michelin star restaurant, it’s a stunning hotel surrounded by vineyards.

Hotel Viura: The latest addition to Rioja’s architectural portfolio is Hotel Viura in Rioja Alavesa, a 4-star luxury boutique hotel designed by Joseba and Xabier Aramburu. The hotel features a restaurant offering fantastic local gastronomy, a wine- tasting bar, an antique wine cellar, a wine bar, gym and a rooftop terrace. From the terrace, there are panoramic views of the San Andres Church, which was built between 1538 and 1728. There are also views of the Cantabrian mountains.

Facebook Reviews

What an amazing trip with a fantastic group of people. It was an education about wine we couldn't have experienced anywhere else. Our guide, Ryan Opaz, was extremely knowledgable and brought great enthusiasm to the experience.

Fantastic tour of the Portugal wine country organized and conducted by the Catavino team. Echoing the comments of the previous reviews below, my wife and I experienced one memorable experience topped each day by the next memorable experience. A week of friendship, learning and interacting all in an environment that was stimulating and stress free. Kudos to Catavino for a wonderful and supremely well organized trip.

Having recently completed Catavino's 2017 Custom Harvest Tour, I am still basking in the afterglow of a full week of cushy hotels, beautiful landscapes, long, succulent dinners highlighting the depth of Portuguese cuisine, and, of course, the spectacular wines from the best regions of Portugal. Catavino has crafted a harvest experience that uniquely capitalizes on Ryan's personal relationships with some of Portugal's preeminent winemakers. This allows us into their cellars for intimate tastings and onto their terraces for wonderful lunches personally hosted by the owners and winemakers. It is a wonderful learning experience for novices and wine geeks alike. Ryan is a great host, and his knowledge and insights add immensely to the experience. This was my second Harvest Tour with Catavino and they continue to deliver a very satisfying week of Portuguese culture, food and wine. A short review can't do justice to a week long trip. I highly recommend that you sign on to one of their trips and find out for yourself!

Our Fall Harvest trip through the Douro valley led by Ryan Opaz and organized by the talented team at Catavino was truly a once in a lifetime experience (well maybe twice)! This was an ongoing visual and sensory experience from start to finish with several “pinch yourself” moments along the way. Like most learning experiences I feel like I’ve retained a fraction of what I learned about the wines and cuisine or Portugal. I guess that’s a reason to do it again

We just completed a Fall Harvest tour that was organized and led by Catavino Tours. The entire experience was wonderful and met all of our expectations. The tour included several days in and near Lisbon, and then five days in Porto and the wineries and vineyards along the Douro River. All aspects of the tour were planned to provide an exceptional experience for our group of eleven friends. Our tour guide, Ryan Opaz, was extremely knowledgeable about the wines, the Quintas, the history of Port and Portuguese table wine and the country of Portugal. Finally, the food was amazing and included several dinners and lunches with wine makers who were personally know by Ryan. The tour and experience could not have been better!

The Catavino team is world class. A tour with them is guaranteed to be something that you won't forget.
They show you a true picture of what goes on, busting myths about the wine and port industry to show you the real side of Douro. Their level of knowledge is incredible, and we had access to wine tasting, grape stomping and meet the faces behind the wine industry. I can't even begin to describe the amazing lunch at the farm, overlooking the most spectacular views that only the Douro provides - breath taking!!
It is guaranteed to be filled with passion and love, leaving you with a yearning to come back time and time again.
Can't recommend this enough.

My husband and I had a wonderful day on a private tour with Ryan throughout the Douro Valley. He is extremely knowledgeable and helped us learn to appreciate Port. Beyond the wonderful private tasting sessions, he also brought us to a delicious lunch at a local Portuguese restaurant. Throughout the entire day, he provided us with tips and recommendations for the remainder of our journey throughout Portugal. The whole day was the highlight of our trip! We would HIGHLY recommend it!

Incredible experience in a beautiful city. Mariana was an amazing guide - we learned so much, sampled some amazing food, and had fun doing it. Two couples were with our 15- and 17-month-old boys and we never felt rushed or out of place. Highly recommend!

Ana arranged a trip for my client through Portugal. My client is a single woman traveling alone and she had the time of her life! I felt very good about having her in Catavino's hands. Thank you for introducing her to Portugal in such a wonderful manner.

I can only second the comments written here. Catavino is highly professional and will stop at nothing to give you an incredible, unforgettable time. All the biggest highlights from my recent trip to Portugal and Spain were made possible by Catavino. I know how much work goes into it- thank you so much Ryan and team. I'd trust you with my holidays any time.

We were part of the 2016 Harvest Tour and had the experience of a lifetime! The Douro Valley is breathtakingly beautiful and our guides were wonderful. Ryan and Gabriella must have called in all of their personal favors because we met and drank wine with many winemakers, a wine shop owner and tasted '72 port which Oscar Quevedo's grandfather had made. Doesn't get any more special than that! Of course, gourmet food at every meal as well. We'll be back!!

When there were hiccups in the itinerary; Catavino was nothing but gracious. They understood what our visit meant to us & offered us fantastic guides & activities. We ooh'ed & aah'ed, ate & drank almost too well (!) & we laughed for days. Deep thanks.

No enough words, even for a wordsmith like me, to say how wonderful it was spending time with Gabriella and Ryan. Our tour with Ryan as our guide to the Douro Valley was spectacular. Excellent wines, wonderful views, terrific people and a delightful lunch topped off with a lovely boat ride. Highly recommended!!

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Google Reviews

This team is first class, they are knowledgeable of all areas of wine, and the Douro. If you are looking for something to do when in Porto I cant recommend their tours enough - first class.
Many places here say they offer the authentic version of Porto, but rarely do - these tours go into places that others don't, they bust the myths of wine, Port and give you the real insights, show you the faces behind the wine.
The tours offered here give you something that is unique, filled with passion and love for this wonderful city and surrounding areas.

Anita Breland

13:51 19 Sep 17

Looking to enjoy a great excursion through some of the world's most beautiful vineyards? Our group's tour off the beaten path with Catavino was a carefree day of discovery in fine company, and with memorable food and wine. A big plus was an opportunity to spend time with a winemaker happy to share his family story, expertise and excellent wine. I cannot think of a better way to experience the authentic Douro!

Cornell Anderson

11:23 04 Oct 17

We just completed a Fall Harvest tour that was organized and led by Catavino Tours. The entire experience was wonderful and met all of our expectations. The tour included several days in and near Lisbon, and then five days in Porto and the wineries and vineyards along the Douro River. All aspects of the tour were planned to provide an exceptional experience for our group of eleven friends. Our tour guide, Ryan Opaz, was extremely knowledgeable about the wines, the Quintas, the history of Port and Portuguese table wine and the country of Portugal. Finally, the food was amazing and included several dinners and lunches with wine makers who were personally know by Ryan. The tour and experience could not have been better!

Julie Dawn Fox

14:18 21 Sep 17

Just spent a wonderful day in the Douro wine region with the Catavino team and a local winemaker. We had breathtaking views of a side of the Douro that most visitors don't get to see, knowledgeable explanations of the grapes, wines and processes and of course, delicious table and port wines, some poured straight from the barrel. The highlight of the day was the chance to join the Purple Foot Club by treading grapes in stone tanks.

Flavio Bastos Amiel

09:53 19 Sep 17

Yesterday we had the chance to visit a few places in the Douro with Catavino. We had the chance to meet one very young producer (Oscar Quevedo: thanks!) who did a complete tour through one of his vineyards and educated us on the different types of grapes the Douro has to offer and how the wine in this winery is made. The highlight was a great food experience in the winery while staring at the amazing Douro landscape, while sipping whites, red and port wine from the same house. Thanks!!

Tom Fakler

09:26 15 Nov 17

Outstanding day trip from Porto with Catavino!
We spent a day off the beaten path in the Douro wine region and its spectacular scenery. We visited a winery where the vintner gave us the most authentic and informative tour of the vineyards and wine cellar we have had. We tasted this year’s new wine and port from a 10,000-liter cask. We had a gourmet lunch with wines perfectly paired.
Our tour was in the harvest season and we were able to participate in the traditional stomping of grapes in a granite lagar. It was a fun time for all!
Catavino and team know the area and vintners well, and this made our day truly special.

David Waldschmidt

15:35 15 Oct 17

My wife and I had a first rate experience touring the wine country in Portugal. Catavino Tours organized the trip for us and friends. The tour was organized down to the most specific details permitting us an experience unencumbered with worry or stress. Best of all, Catavino is extremely well versed in the wine business, the wine country and the people behind the wineries. As a result, we were treated to experiences and face to face interactions that we would never have had on our own or with someone less tied into the art of making wine.